Growing up I had an absolute fascination with military planes, spending hours sketching them, reading about them, building model kits of them – so essentially (thanks to the cornucopia of naval fighters on display) this was literally like walking into a little slice of heaven for me!

Decommissioned in the 1990’s, the USS Midway holds the distinction of being one of the United States of America’s longest-serving aircraft carriers (1945-1992), having seen action in Vietnam, served in the western Pacific and played a part in Operation Desert Storm.

Now permanently moored at San Diego’s Navy Pier, the USS Midway is a dedicated museum ship, allowing you to explore (with the help of extensive audio guides) both inside and out, whilst also housing an extensive collection of exhibits that cover everything from the crew’s sleeping quarters to the primary flight control on the bridge.

My favourite part is of course the fact that the USS Midway is home to an extensive range of naval fighter planes, with a collection that includes all the iconic American fighters and support planes stretching all the way back to World War II.

The whole experience was further enhanced by the fact that the ship is teeming with volunteer veterans, eager to impart their knowledge and point out facets that you might have missed or skimmed over. Heck, we even sat through a little session on the flightdeck where we were taken through the process of how they land fighters on the ship. (Incredibly interesting, though probably not a skill that I’ll ever need to master! :D)

It is a truly wonderful experience for anyone with even the slightest of interest in military matters and I seriously have no idea as to just how many hours I dragged Johann along with me as we wandered about the aircraft carrier – but I know that given the chance, I could easily spend the entire day there!

Well, well worth the price of admission.

It is no wonder then that the USS Midway is ranked as being the most popular naval warship museum in the whole of the United States!

If you are down in California, paying a visit to San Diego, and perhaps have just the slightest of interest in all things military, then it would be particularly foolish to skip out on making a trip down to the USS Midway Museum!

The massive decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Midway, previously America’s longest-serving aircraft carrier (1945-1992) is now a dedicated museum ship, housing an extensive collection of naval aircraft and over 60 ship exhibits brought to life by a self-guided audio tour.

Exhibits range from the crew’s sleeping quarters to a massive galley, engine room, the ship’s jail, officer’s country, post office, machine shops, and pilots’ ready rooms, as well as primary flight control and the bridge high in the island over the flight deck.

Included in the ships restored aircraft inventory is a cornucopia of naval fighters stretching from World War II to Operation Desert Storm. Expect to view planes like the SBD Dauntless dive bomber, the TBM Avenger, F9F Panther, F-4 Phantom, A-6 Intruder and F/A-18 Hornet just to name but a few!

The museum is berthed at Navy Pier which has more than 300 parking spaces. It also is within walking distance of public transportation and other downtown San Diego waterfront attractions.

Opened on 7 June 2004,d by 2012 the USS Midway Museum’s annual visitation exceeded 1 million visitors. As of 2015, Midway now also boasts the tag of being the most popular naval warship museum in the United States!

By the time a Marine finally pulled into a little town, every hotel room was already taken.

“You’ve got to have a room somewhere,” he pleaded. “Or just a bed, I don’t care where.”

“Well, I do have a double room with one occupant, a Navy guy,” admitted the manager, “and he might be glad to split the cost. But truth be told, he snores so loudly that people in adjoining rooms have complained in the past, so I’m not sure it’d be entirely worth it to you.”

“No problem,” the tired Marine assured him. “I’ll take it.”

The next morning the Marine came down to breakfast, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

“So, how did you sleep?” asked the curious manager.

“Never better,” replied the Marine.

The manager was impressed. “No problem with the other guy snoring, then?”

“Nope, I shut him up in no time,” said the Marine.

“Seriously? Now how on Earth did you manage that?” asked the manager.

“He was already in bed, happily snoring away, when I entered the room,” the Marine explained. “I went over, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and whispered, ‘Goodnight, beautiful’ – and with that, he sat up all night watching me!”